Fuzzy Bunny Hugs

The hat pattern is Chunky Dean Street from Craftsy.

The scarf wasn’t made from a written pattern.

Spring has arrived here in South Texas, so it might seem like a strange time of year to write about this topic. After almost 5 years, and a few storage containers full of Angora wool, I came to the conclusion this past Fall, I needed to find an easy(ish) way to start using it. Especially since I’ve been involved with some larger projects (an Airsteam TT reno) which have limited my ability to practice fiber blending and spinning.

After a late summer/early fall trip with the trailer up to South Dakota and Iowa, Angus and Lola needed to be sheared when we got home in late October. We had chilly weather following us about while we traveled. It was in the bunnies’ best interest to let them grow out until we returned. While I was shearing, and topping off my storage containers, I began to wonder if it was possible to add the Angora to a project while I was knitting. There is a yarn stash lurking in my studio which needs to be busted. Clearing space, learning something new, and having a finished project at the end offered more than one bonus. It certainly wasn’t going to hurt anything to try it. Especially since I ended up with a second harvest 3 months later, courtesy of the colder weather we had this past winter. The season of the short-haired bunny is now here, but there will be at least a few more harvests in my future. Even though Angora wool is best suited to cold weather wear, putting a dent in what I already have will be a year-round endeavor.

My first attempt was this headband, which of course I made for myself. (Had to make sure my plan would work, and I already have an Alpaca scarf in the same color.) The yarn is a natural colored Alpaca DK with a bit of sparkle. Lola, whose adult coat is pale palomino, was a good match. The fiber came directly from the storage container while I knit. Besides all the brushing/blow-outs they receive while growing out, my rabbits also get brushed while I shear. My containers are filled with tidy, organized locks. No mats or debris allowed. I’m a continental knitter and generally pretty speedy. Taking the time to separate and wrap very small amounts of Angora around the yarn did slow me down. But I found it less frustrating than my previous attempts at blending and spinning. Here, I was using just enough to add extra softness and the famous Angora halo. The stitch definition and sparkle aren’t compromised.

The hat and scarf, pictured at the top of this post, were my next projects. I made them for a friend who lives in one of the great lake states. I knew she likes bright pink. There was a small amount of variegated bulky baby Alpaca lurking in a drawer. The magenta skeins I had were a bit dark to be a perfect match. Tying both together seemed like a good opportunity to try Angora dying with materials I already had in the house. (The hat and scarf made my friend very happy. Even though I sent it to her in early Feb. she’s still had plenty of opportunities to wear them.)

The protein fibers (animal wools) are usually dyed with an acid mordant. Since I clean my rabbit cages with it, there is always a large jug of white vinegar. I used two types of food coloring as the dye stuff, gel and liquid. These first choices were based mostly on the fact I was dying very small amounts of wool. Plus, I already had it. (Leftover from our younger daughter’s high school baking days.)

Commercial dyes, especially some types preferred by fiber artists and professionals, generally have very specific technical requirements. They also need dedicated equipment and sometimes must be worked with outside. Dying outside wasn’t going to happen when it was cold and rainy/icy. Though to be honest I won’t do it when every tree in the neighborhood is pollinating, or it’s 100° with 90% humidity. Kitchen dying just suits my environmental circumstances better. It’s also well suited for a fiber which isn’t likely to register on a scale. Angora is far lighter than a feather. The small amounts I wanted to dye wouldn’t even make my digital scale blink. Most dyes require weight, not volume, to determine amount of water, dye and mordant for the dye bath.

Lola's wool with a skein of  bulky aplaca in Magneta.

(Cloudborn from Craftsy.)

For my first foray into Angora dying, I wasn’t very concerned with dye lot consistency, since the yarn for the hat band was variegated. When in the process of learning new things, take the pressure off yourself and toss perfection out the window. Just make notes about your varying results, in case you want to successfully repeat something you found pleasing. Unless you accidentally felt your fiber, there is no reason to discard something if the finished product isn’t exactly what you expected. Put it back in your stash and use it in another project. A felted fabric isn’t the end of the world either. When working with an expensive fiber like Angora, you don’t throw away mistakes. Save the “fur” fabric to trim hats, collars, sleeve cuffs, etc.

Yes, all the opaque fiber has air trapped in it.

And it's bone dry in those air bubbles.

Avoiding felting starts before the fiber gets in the dye bath. Even if my Angora wool didn’t need to be combed/washed first, I learned dying is still a two-step process. You will need to wet it in hot water before dying. The properties which make Angora desirable require patience when you decide to dye it. Even when working with small quantities, I didn’t find any shortcuts. It took time to break the locks up over the water, and it took more time to poke air bubbles out of the fibers. I used an old serving fork to hold the locks under the water and a small spoon to remove the bubbles. You’ll know when you finally have all the air out. The fibers will almost disappear in the water, and they’ll sink. A pre-soak in hot water means better dye penetration. Until you attempt to wet it, you won’t really appreciate how much air those fine fibers trap between them. A lock of Angora wool which isn’t separated and thoroughly wet will only dye on the outside. The fibers inside the lock will be barely colored, if at all. Aggressive stirring while the wool is in hot water should be avoided. I used my 9” x 13” glass baking dish for the soaking process. It’s shallow enough that I could easily keep the water hot on the low burner setting. It also didn’t take long for the heat to come back up if I needed to top off the water level. By the way, use filtered water for soaking, dying and rinsing. You won’t want chlorine and other contaminants in your dye projects.

When it was finally wet, the same fork was used to scoop the wool out of the baking dish into the dye bath. Also in a heat-proof glass dish and kept hot while I was working. Now, I’m going to be honest and admit my first Angora dying attempts haven’t been very technical. I didn’t really measure anything. I put in coloring until I was satisfied with the intensity. A couple of tablespoons of vinegar seemed like plenty. If you get an occasional whiff of it, then there is enough. How long you need to leave the fiber in the dye bath will depend on your dye stuff. I found the gel food coloring needed more time and was least likely to dye true. My rose-pink gel tended to produce more orange/coral tones. The liquid neon pink, when in a dye bath by itself, stayed pink. Start by leaving the wool in the dye for at least 10 minutes. Remove a small amount and rinse it. Like the results? Then your batch is ready. Otherwise, retest periodically until you get what you want.

Angus' wool dyed in shades of blue and purple.

I suspect the purple came from gel food coloring which is supposed to be royal blue.

Save that stuff for frosting, unless you want to be surprised by the results.

The dark blue in the lower left corner is acid dyed.

It was easier to use than I thought it would be, and my current go-to. 

When it came to the shades of blue I dyed for the current project I’m knitting, I tried some craft store liquid dye, food coloring and a powdered acid dye. At first, I was concerned about possible results for the acid dye because of the small quantities of fiber being dyed. But it was the one which impressed me the most. I tried ¼ tsp. in about 3-4 cups of water. The color stayed true and intense, even after being rinsed. If you’re going to purchase dye, buy the powdered stuff. Otherwise, you’re just buying colored water. (A high-priced liquid dye is a very concentrated product. The adage “You get what you pay for”, is very much true here.)

What I learned from my preliminary dying experiences will hopefully help with some of my future spinning endeavors. Time and continued practice will tell. In the grand scheme of things, how my Angora wool gets into finished projects probably doesn’t matter. It’s a special fiber which doesn’t deserve to sit around in storage containers. And until you actually use and enjoy it, you’ll sometimes question your sanity in choosing to care for such high-maintenance creatures. Yes, I love my bunnies. They have sweet, silly personalities, and my daily interactions with them bring me joy. But they were bred for a specific purpose, fiber production, and more than earn their keep . Making something with their wool finally brings me full circle. There is another reason to value what they produce, too. Angus is now 8 years old. He’s showing his age a bit. Earlier this year, he developed a little cold. It scared me that he could have snuffles, and I may not have him much longer. Such episodes always make me wonder what I’ll do with his wool after he’s gone. Of course, I’ll continue to use it. Though there may be some tears at first. Even when my storage containers are finally empty, Angus and Lola will continue to have a presence in this world. Their wool is their legacy. With a bit of care from the recipients, the fuzzy bunny hugs I make with it will give warmth and pleasure well beyond the bunnies’ lifetimes, and possibly even mine. Which is quite a feat for a humble rabbit.

The Project Queen

Angus hanging out in the Airstream while we were at San Angelo State Park.

Lola in a box. She's now 3 years old. You can see another photo of her in a box at three months.

Just look for the "Crazy Bunny Lady" post.